by Johann Baptist Mayrhofer (1787 - 1836)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

Alte Liebe rostet nie
Language: German (Deutsch) 
Our translations:  CAT DUT ENG FRE ITA
Alte Liebe rostet nie,
Hört ich oft die Mutter sagen;
Alte Liebe rostet nie,
Muß ich nun erfahrend klagen.  

Wie die Luft umgibt sie mich, 
Die ich einst die Meine nannte,
Die ich liebte ritterlich,
Die mich in die Ferne sandte.

Seit die Holde ich verlor,
Hab' ich Meer und Land gesehen, -
Vor der schönsten Frauen Flor
Durft ich unerschüttert stehen:

Denn aus mir ihr Bildnis trat,
Zürnend, wie zum Kampf mit ihnen;
Mit dem Zauber, den sie hat,
Mußte sie das Spiel gewinnen.

Da der Garten, dort das Haus,
Wo wir oft so traulich kosten!
Seh' ich recht? sie schwebt heraus -
Wird die alte Liebe rosten?

Note: Schubert received Mayrhofer's texts generally in handwriting; the printed edition of Mayrhofer's poems appeared much later and presents the texts usually in a revised version. This poem was printed posthumously (1843) with many modifications and the title Alte Liebe; see below.


Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

Another version of this text exists in the database.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "El vell amor mai s’oblida", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , "Oude liefde roest nooit", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Old love never dies", copyright ©
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "On revient toujours à ses premières amours", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Il vecchio amore non muore mai", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Richard Morris , Peter Rastl [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 107

Old love never dies
Language: English  after the German (Deutsch) 
Old love never dies,
I heard my mother often say;
old love never dies,
must I now - experienced - lament.

As the air surrounds me,
so did she whom I once called mine -
she whom I loved with a knight's chivalry,
she who sent me far away.

Ever since I lost my lovely lady,
I've seen many seas and lands -
and before the fairest group of ladies
I have stood unimpressed:

For from within me stepped her image,
angrily, as if to do battle with them;
with the magic that she has,
she must win the game.

There is the garden, there is the house,
where we so often tasted intimacy!
Do I see right? she is floating out -
will the old love die?

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © by Emily Ezust

    Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:

    Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
    from the LiederNet Archive

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.


Based on:

 

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 123